Chapter 75: Seven Years Later

Chapter 75: Seven Years Later
Azarius

"Your Majesty, our intelligence suggests that Her Majesty is currently in the Mongol Province."

Time and again, I received similar leads, whispers of her whereabouts, only for them to dissolve into nothing the moment I arrived.

"She’s fled again, Your Majesty," my shadows would report, their voices laced with frustration.

The cycle repeated endlessly. Each time I came close to finding her, she would slip through my grasp like sand through my fingers. Seven years of this torturous pursuit, and still, she remained just out of reach.

Pacing the chamber, I clenched my fists, my agitation palpable as I spoke to my brothers. "It doesn’t make sense. My shadows are the best in tracking, yet every time we close in on her, she vanishes. It’s as though she’s always one step ahead of me."

Macedonia knew me too well, understood my strategies, my patterns. She was playing a game of cat and mouse, and I hated to admit it, but she was winning.

Juggling the bracelet she’d once worn, its faint trace of her scent still lingering, I raised it to my nose. The familiar fragrance calmed the storm within me, grounding me, even as anger simmered beneath the surface.

"She’s clever," I murmured, my lips twisting into a bitter smile. "Always one step ahead. She knows exactly how I think."

Alistair, observing the shadows training in the courtyard, crossed his arms. "Brother, it’s unlikely she’s doing this alone. Someone must be helping her. Perhaps even someone within your shadows."

Alejandro’s grin held a sinister edge. "I agree. It’s too clean, too calculated. You’ve got a traitor, Azarius. Someone who’s feeding her information and keeping her one step ahead."

My grip on the bracelet tightened as I closed my eyes, her image flashing in my mind. Even now, despite the years, the mere thought of her made my pulse quicken. My obsession with her hadn’t faded. 

It had only grown stronger.

It didn’t matter what she’d done. She was mine.

And once I found her, I’d make sure she stayed mine. I’d bind her to me, both body and soul, ensuring she’d never leave my side again.

I would make sure that she wasn't going anywhere anymore. I would lock her up and make love to her until her legs wouldn't work anymore.

"Alucard," I called, my voice sharp.

"Yes, brother?"

Without looking at him, I inhaled the faint scent on the bracelet one more time before speaking. "Test the shadows. Dispatch them to investigate a nearby town and monitor their movements closely." My tone was laced with suspicion, my eyes narrowing as I stared out the window.

Alucard nodded but hesitated. "We’ve done this before, and nothing came of it."

I turned to him, my expression cold. "Then we’ll try something different. Check the records of new residents in every town. Cross-reference their movements. There’s a pattern somewhere, and I’ll find it."

Macedonia’s game had gone on long enough. The thrill of the chase burned within me, but this time, it wouldn’t end with her slipping away.

This time, I would win.

As I prepared to dismiss my brothers, the door burst open. Novalie, Atticus’s mate, stormed in with a determined stride. Beside her stood a woman that seemed around her age, her confident smile lighting up the room.

"No need for your plans, brother-in-law," Novalie announced, her voice firm. All of us were confused by her. 

"Why is it, Novalie?" I asked, wondering.

"I’ve brought someone who can assist you," Novalie announced with a sweeping gesture. "This is Guinevere, Mother’s fifth daughter, also known as Grizel, the Goddess of Fate."

The room stilled as my brothers and I immediately rose to our feet, inclining our heads in deep respect. "Greetings, Great Goddess," we said in unison, our voices firm and reverent.

Guinevere’s eyes widened, a faint flush coloring her cheeks. "Sister! They’re royal lycans!" she exclaimed, her tone tinged with embarrassment. "Why are they bowing to me?" She nudged Novalie in protest.

Suppressing a smile, I stepped forward and inclined my head once more, my tone respectful yet warm. "Great Goddess, though we are royal lycans, you and your sisters stand above us. You are the daughters of the Moon Goddess herself—the embodiment of her will. We merely strive to fulfill the prophecies entrusted to us."
Novalie nodded with a reassuring smile and looped her arm around Guinevere's. "Sister Rachelle only recently reunited with her, so Guinevere is still adjusting," she explained before glancing at her sister. "Just address them by their names. They won’t mind, right, brother-in-law?"
I gave a slight nod. "She’s correct," I said, offering a warm smile.
"My goddess, where have you been?"
Atticus’s frown drew all eyes to him. Novalie let out a light laugh and crossed the room to him, placing a playful kiss on his cheek.
"Oh, my Frederick is sulking," she teased, using his second name. "Didn’t I tell you I was fetching Guinevere?" Her brow arched as she met his gaze. "Or did you conveniently forget?"
Alucard answered for him with a smirk. "He did."
Novalie chuckled, her gaze shifting back to me as she gently patted Atticus’s cheek. He seemed to soften under her touch, his previous irritation melting away. A pang of envy hit me as I watched. My brothers had their mates by their sides, while I remained alone, yearning for Macedonia’s presence.
"As I was saying," Novalie continued, her voice light yet purposeful, "since Guinevere is the Goddess of Fate, she can trace someone by connecting to their threads of destiny. That’s her unique ability. If you have something that belongs to Macedonia, my sister may be able to locate her."
Her words made my breath hitch, a flicker of hope igniting within me. It felt as if fate had finally thrown me a lifeline.
"W-Would this work?" I asked, holding out Macedonia’s bracelet. "I gave this to her when she turned eighteen, and she always wore it..." My voice faltered as the memory of its purpose resurfaced.
Though the incantation that once masked our bond had been removed, the bracelet remained in my possession. It was a bittersweet reminder of the night I confronted her, the night that drove her to leave.
My fingers tightened around the small band as I extended it toward Guinevere, silently willing it to bring her back to me.
Guinevere stepped forward, her gaze softening as she took the bracelet from my trembling hands. Her fingers brushed over it, a faint glow emanating from her touch as if the object itself held remnants of Macedonia's essence.
"This will suffice," she said, her voice calm yet filled with certainty. "The threads of fate tied to this bracelet are strong. They’ll guide me to her location."
I held my breath, watching her every movement. The room fell into a tense silence as my brothers and Novalie observed with equal anticipation. Guinevere closed her eyes, her hands cradling the bracelet as a soft hum filled the air.
It wasn’t just sound. It was energy, something ancient and powerful.
The air in the room shifted, crackling with unseen forces. Guinevere’s brow furrowed in concentration as she murmured words in a language that sounded like music woven with the whispers of the wind.
Her eyes flew open, a faint ethereal glow radiating from their depths. "The western region of the Sowinski Kingdom," she announced, her voice steady and otherworldly. "More precisely, the town of Diae."
The name sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through me, and a slow, dark smile curved my lips. "Diae, is it?" I murmured, my tone low and laced with intent.